The 2014 Guest Blogger Re-cap is here—because you’ve probably missed a few pretty amazing projects along the way this year and because we’re so proud of each blogger’s ability to transform Britex fabrics into beautiful garments and accessories. During the next few weeks you’ll be treated to exclusive re-caps of our favorite guest blogger projects. We’ll show you the best of the best from each of our guest bloggers with all their individual style.

Jamie of Jamie Lau Designs contributed a total of 5 projects this year—busy bee, she is. If you haven’t noticed, she loves fabrics with structure like linen and cotton, and has a special interest in colorblocking patterns, which pretty much guarantees beautiful and uncommon garments.

Here’s a perfect example. Jamie’s Palazzo Pant Jumpsuit is a favorite of ours. The linen choices are perfect with just the right amount of drape. For those that love linen but aren’t big fans of the wrinkle factor, Jamie recommends using fusible knitted tricot interfacing for collars and other areas you’d like to keep crisp.

The 2014 Guest Blogger Re-cap is here—because you’ve probably missed a few pretty amazing projects along the way this year and because we are so proud of each blogger’s ability to transform Britex fabrics into beautiful garments and accessories. During the next few weeks you’ll be treated to exclusive re-caps of our favorite guest blogger projects. We’ll show you the best of the best from each of our guest bloggers with all of their individual style. First up: Kristin of Skirt as Top.

If you haven’t already visited Skirt as Top, go now. You’ve got to check out Kristin’s Film Petit series where she replicates costumes from cult favorites such as Life Aquatic, Psycho and Back to the Future in miniature versions for her kiddos. Also, keep this blog in mind for awesome indie pattern recommendations—Kristin always knows about the coolest kids clothing patterns and the newest ladies patterns from independent pattern-makers.

The much anticipated 50% OFF REMNANT IN-STORE SALE is here. The sale starts Thursday, April 24 at 10 AM and goes through Saturday, April 26, 6 PM. It’s hard to come by discounts as good as these—remnants will be 50% off their already reduced prices. You’ll find an assortment of fabrics such as fine woolens, wool suitings, silk prints, silk solids, linen and cotton fabrics. Find home décor fabrics as well. Remember, remnants range in size from about half yard cuts to 3 yard lengths, and cannot be cut. This sale is in-store only—on-line fabrics, phone and mail orders are not included in this sale!

If you’ve joined us for a remnant sale in the past, you know the drill. If you haven’t, here are some tips:

1. Arrive early for the best selection.
2. It gets crazy-busy on day one. So, if you prefer a mellower experience, stop by in the afternoon or on day 2 or 3 of the sale.
3. While you’re here, don’t forget your notions—thread, zippers, trims, rulers, marking tools, etc.. They’re not on sale, but it saves you a trip.
4. Have fun! Invite your sewing friends and make it a downtown San Francisco adventure. Check out the designer shops for inspiration, then stop by Otis Cafe for a gourmet coffee on Maiden Lane.

Here it is—the much discussed Britex After-Hours Tour. So what happens during these evening hours is no longer a secret. First, visitors are greeted and helped to a fine selection of cheese and an assortment of drinks from white wine to sparkling cider. Geana Sieburger, Britex’s educator and programs gal, leads the tour floor by floor starting with a quick chat about what attracted everyone to the tour. Click here to read more »

From feather-light sheers to blanket weight woolens, get your fill this Friday during out best ever Black Friday Sale. If you’ve ever been to our regular store-wide sales, it’s good to keep in mind that this sale will be just like those. Fabrics, notions and remnants will be 30% off their regular prices (as usual, a few exceptions apply). Here is taste of what will be on sale this Black Friday.

When I discovered the beautiful and vintage-y modern plaid at Britex, I knew I had found the fabric for which I had been searching.I had in mind a short sleeve button-up shirt for my husband, but wanted something different than classic dress shirting.This fab plaid completely fit the bill!However, once I laid out the fabric and went to cut out my pattern, I realized I had a big challenge ahead of me.Plaid.Matching plaid is one issue; deciding in which direction the plaid should be arranged and the overall layout was the other.Should the plaid on the yoke be diagonal?If the yoke is on the straight grain, could the pockets be diagonal?What about the placket??I was completely paralyzed by indecision for a while, but after looking at some ready-to-wear men’s tops, I opted to go for a straight-laced version with no diagonally arranged plaid pieces.Really working the 70s vibe of the fabric might look great, but I wanted to be sure my husband would actually wear the shirt!

At our house, we’ve been exclusively using cloth napkins for a while now. I typically use quilting cotton for our “regular” napkins, so when I received the cotton and linen yardage from Britex, I almost felt guilty for using such incredible, beautiful fabric essentially for wiping dirty hands and mouths. But as I worked with the linen in particular, I came to the realization that I wasn’t making a throw-away, disposable item; well-made table linens, from high-quality fabrics are the type of item one might inherit. That thought made me especially happy since I chose the linen fabric to coordinate with a set of German breakfast dishes handed down to me from my grandmother. How fitting!

Napkins come in all shapes and sizes, for all occasions. For more “casual” napkins, I sew a narrow hem and little mitered corners. For formal, special occasion linen napkins, I use a wider hem and the traditional sewn mitered corner. This tutorial shows you how to make both! Click here to read more »

Hello Britex fans! My name is Laura Mae and I blog over at Lilacs & Lace. I am absolutely thrilled to be the latest Britex Guest Blogger, and am even more excited to share my first project with you. And here it is!